John Bull

Yes - and I'm perhaps a little sceptical that they don't clarify on their website, nor have they responded to my question on another thread, about which port their cruises use, something which you and I both know is extremely important to folks visiting Santorini by cruise ship. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2976441-santorini-private-sunset-cruise-for-30-people/#comment-66924146 Their cruise offerings seem quite good and quite affordable, but the private water-taxi rates are understandably eye-watering - if their cruises start and/or end at Athinios, those on cruise ships would need either transport to Fira and then get down to the tender pier by over-subscribed cablecar or the long zig-zag path. Or - especially if time were tight - by that expensive water-taxi 😮. IMHO If they don't use the tender pier (Fira old harbour) they're of no use to cruisers. JB 🙂

It's in a lovely waterside setting, but I think the only Roman remains are the gatehouse and high perimeter walls You could perhaps visit same-day as Fishbourne - it's in the same direction. It's a 20-minute walk from the station, I don't think there's a taxi rank. The Cormorant pub is a good watering hole shortly before the castle. JB 🙂

It's a similar operation on roads in mainland Europe, but with full-size and over-size tour coaches towing luggage trailers. Distances in the UK are shorter, but some continental operators use the same combo for their coach tours here - they occasionally get in a pickle and screw-up traffic on some of Britain's twisty roads & narrow over-crowded city streets. I know of only one local operator using minibus (van) plus trailer JB 🙂

Interestingly the Nat Rail site says "You’re generally welcome to bring up to 3 pieces of luggage" (the bold face is mine) SWR do have a limit of 3 cases per passenger (Southern is the one which doesn't appear to have a limit) though as you say enforcement is another matter. And I'm not sure where in a cabin you'd fit more than six cases 🙄 And an update on that previous thread. South-west's limit is two sheepdogs 🐕🐕 per passenger, and smaller animals like lambs must be carried in a cage.🐑 JB 🙂

In the UK and most other places probably including the wild & woolly NW of the USA, luggage is limited by law. To minimise injuries in the event of an accident, large cases aren't permitted in the cabins of a coach - a large unsecured case could be thrown the length of the cabin, same as an un-belted passenger. (And yes, coaches are fitted with seat-belts and passengers are required to wear them except when moving about the coach eg to the bathroom). And penalties are high for owning or driving a commercial vehicle which is over its MGW (maximum gross weight). International Friends'' limit is 2 x 23kg checked cases & one 10kg cabin case per passenger, which is surely enough for anyone ? That's more generous than most coach journeys, because they are aware that all of the passengers have vacation luggage. Their coaches are mainly 44 to 49-seaters, but note that for cruise tour-transfers they book a max of 35 passengers. This is due to the size of coach belly lockers and the vehicle's MGW See FAQ on cruise tour-transfers https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/london-heathrow-to-southampton-via-stonehenge.html I've driven many many ships' transfer coaches for multiple cruise lines. They didn't have any luggage limit but with the exception of Cunard (who use trucks for excess luggage) they too anticipate carrying only about 33 to 35 passengers per coach They have the advantage of up to a dozen coaches for a single airport, so if anyone brings significantly more luggage & consequently a coach maxes out at say 32 passengers, there'll be spare capacity on other coaches. National Express coach fares include an allowance of 1 x 20kg case & 1 45x35x20cm hand luggage per person.. But cases aren't weighed and drivers aren't wimps, so there or thereabouts and usual aircraft allowance shouldn't be as problem. If you want to take more luggage you can book it with your coach tickets at £10 per bag. I'm guessing that Nat Express' long experience is that the number of passengers without cases or with cases below the allowance weights exceeds the number of extra cases (be aware that their routes don't start at London airports, so there are always plenty of day-trippers etc. with next-to-no-luggage) https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/luggage-lost-property Trains. I recall a long and hilarious thread which ended up estimating how many sheep plus the appropriate number of sheepdogs you could take on trains, but the upshot was that there's no maximum number of cases (or sheep) that would concern cruisers. But there's usually no paid help to carry or load Private transfers. Even cars are subject to MGW, although the average owner wouldn't know theirs or even where to find it. Every airport transfer quote that I've ever seen wants to know the number of adults, children, large cases and hand-cases - and allocates an appropriate vehicle. JB 🙂

Yes, perfectly doable - in 3 days A full day in Bath - by train A full day on the IoW - by Red Jet passenger ferry to Cowes https://www.redfunnel.co.uk/isle-of-wight-ferry/fleet/redjet then short bus-ride to Newport, the island capital and bus hub https://www.islandbuses.info/services A 24-hour Southern Vectis "Rover" bus ticket might be cheaper than pay-as-you-go, it'll certainly be simpler. A lazy day to Fishbourne - by train. Perhaps leave the which and when to see the mood and weather forecast - crossing the Solent and traipsing round the IoW is best done in good weather. I do worry that you might be disappointed by Fishbourne and the Island's Roman remains. do research them. A hotel by Southampton Central station is ideal for the trains. And McDonald's 😜. Or more convenient for the ferry and if a McDonald's won't do 😏, a selection of hotels, pubs & restaurants around West Quay and old-town. But the two locations are only a 10 minute walk apart. See the thumbnail map at the foot of this page https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_accommodation.htm JB 🙂

Plymouth is a rare port-of-call for cruise ships. But a good one . An historic city, in a bay known as "Plymouth Sound" protected from the ocean waves by a long breakwater Sirena is about the same size as cross-Channel ferries from Plymouth, so I'd guess that she'll be berthed at Millbay Dock in the city. Plymouth Hoe is a 15 - 20 minute waterfront walk from the dock. The Hoe is a vantage point where Sir Francis Drake reputedly said he'd finish his game of bowls before setting out to defeat the Spanish Armada. It's also where Smeaton's Tower (lighthouse) was re-built in his honour after it was retired from its duties guarding the Eddystone Reef - scene of many shipwrecks - about 12 miles directly out to sea. On a clear day those with good eyesight can see its replacement, a thin white pencil on the horizon. https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/things-to-do/smeatons-tower-p258003 The little island in Plymouth Sound is Drake's Island https://drakes-island.com/island-history Continue along the waterfront past the Citadel (fort) and the boat trips, to Southside Street in "The Barbican", the historic quarter of Plymouth. Narrow cobbled streets and places like the Plymouth Gin distillery (Plymouth Gin is the Royal Navy's tipple). Here you'll also find the Mayflower Steps - last stop for the Mayflower in 1620 before crossing to The New World (that's you 😏). https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/explore/areas-to-visit/the-barbican-and-sutton-harbour Plymouth was heavily bombed during the Blitz of WW2, the city centre is post-war and - dare I say it - a bit bland. There are alternatives outside the city, places like Dartmoor or Drake's Buckland Abbey or Slapton Sands, Dartmouth & the South Hams. But the city itself has plenty for a port-of-call JB 🙂

Thanks for the technical correction. But you missed off the 😏 in my post. I would respond that "since toilets actually use the same water as the hand-basin it's fine to drink from the toilet bowl 😏" but I really don't want to be corrected on the health issues of doing so 😀 JB 🙂

I remember about ** years ago when my father was in the British army and I was a nipper, we sailed UK to Hong Kong by troopship. In the Mediterranean we were told there'd be no fresh water until Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and if we didn't conserve water they'd have to replenish with de-salinated water in Aden (Yemen). We didn't, and they did. It was foul 😮😮😮 But it's a whole different ball-game nowadays. Water is excellent from any tap in the bars, restaurants & drinks stations. And from your cabin bathroom (but not from the toilet because apparently they use "grey" water) 😏 JB 🙂

As it happens I've just finished a rant about LHR to Dover public transport on a question on this forum from cruisemom 😏 There's no direct public transport to Dover, you have to go into central London and out again. By train or tube to central London, cross central London by tube or taxi to one of several central London stations for direct trains to Dover Priory station, then short taxi hop to the cruise terminal. Tedious & time-consuming https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ By bus it's easier because buses from LHR go to London Victoria coach station and buses to Dover leave from the same coach station. station. Less tedious, more time-consuming. https://www.nationalexpress.com/en So for LHR to Dover for one or two passengers I'd recommend ship's over-priced coach transfer, the only route I'd recommend ship's transfers. For three or more a pre-booked private transfer should be a little cheaper. Both options use the London orbital road (M25) rather than London's clogged streets JB 🙂

Rail transport in SE England is London-centric. Great for travel from LHR into London, but for other directions it's difficult by rail since most journeys involve going into central London and out again, usually from a different central London station. To Southampton is an example - convoluted long-winded and expensive. Most folk book a direct National Express coach (about £20) or private transfer (about £140 -, by train is only worthy of a Plan B if other arrangements go belly-up. To Bath is simpler but frustrating - and the rail website doesn't offer what I consider to be the obvious route - LHR to Paddington station by Heathrow Express or Elizabeth line tube, then direct half-hourly train from Paddington to Bath Spa station. The frustrating bit is that the train from Paddington re-traces part of the route that you took to Paddington. By direct National Express bus is simpler & cheaper at just £10.50, but there are only a very few direct coaches each day. The walk-up train fare is about £50 from London Waterloo to Southampton or £40 from London Paddington to Bath Spa. But by far the best option from Bath to Southampton is the hourly direct train service at around £33, with only a pound or two difference between advance or walk-up fares. So for travel outside London it's Heathrow airport, not Bath, that's a bit out of the way. https://www.nationalexpress.com/en https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Yes, Bath is delightful though apart from the well-preserved baths it's an attractive Georgian city with imposing architecture - a lot younger than your usual haunts 😏 Rail station, coaches and sights like the Baths, the Royal Crescent and Pultney Bridge are in easy walking distance. Bath is one of those cities where a ho-ho bus is a waste of time & money. Southampton has no Roman remains that I'm aware of, despite a TripAdvisor praising the city's "Roman" Wall Walks 🙄. The Roman town (Clausentum) was in what is now the suburb of Bitterne Manor. The city's few historic sights including the Tudor Merchant's House, the city walls, the Bargate and the archaeological museum in God's Tower would interest a visitor for a day, but perhaps not your scene. Southampton is a rail hub with excellent direct links to places like .... Bath - so a day-trip from Southampton is an option (£41 for "anytime" return tickets.) Portchester station then short taxi hop to ruined Portchester Castle. The castle is Norman, but built within the walls of a Roman fort https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/portchester-castle/history-and-stories/history/ Fishbourne Roman Palace. Train (one change of train) to Fishbourne (return fare £20) then ten minute walk. (not to be confused with Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight https://www.britainsfinest.co.uk/museums/fishbourne-roman-palace-gardens I wouldn't suggest either Portchester or Fishbourne to the average visitor but I know your interest in all things Roman. It won't surprise you that I've never visited those sights 😏 The Isle of Wight is a short ferry ride from Southampton. The island is kinda stuck in the 1950s, relaxing, slow-placed & laid-back. But it has an excellent bus service and buses pass close to four of the five Roman villa remains (the one at Combey is the exception) https://images-islandbuses.passenger-website.com/2023-09/ISLAND MAP.pdf The island is better known as part of the Jurassic coast, with dinosaur museum etc. I believe the dinosaurs were on this planet even before the Greeks 😜 JB 🙂

I'm no expert, but two thoughts..... The cruise was booked well before "last year's" insurance expired, so there's a possibility that it covers a cancellation after that insurance expired. Suggest that they check the policy, talk to the insurer, take qualified advice if there's a possibility that they are covered on that expired policy. Depending on the circumstances, they could consider insurance with that pre-existing hip problem excluded. A few years ago when considering a particular cruise my partner was faced with a similar problem for her annual policy due to early signs of a cancer (thankfully she's now clear) - the insurers would cover it but the premium was huge. Like many cancers, in itself it was not going to be a problem before or during the cruise - the only risk was any difficulty in re-vamping any appointment which might clash with the dates of the 14-day cruise. So cover for that cancer was excluded, the premium was un-changed, and we booked the cruise. No worries, and when a couple of years later she was given the all-clear the exclusion was removed. Whether that fits your friend's problem will depend on a number of factors, including whether the condition is likely to worse, whether an un-changeable date for an operation might clash and whether your friend will be unfit to travel for a period after any operation. First port-of-call for cover for the cruise should be the same insurer. If they're made aware that your friend will consider claiming on the expired policy, that might tip them into covering the cruise with that exclusion (even on a single trip policy) rather than have her cancel the cruise and lodge a claim on the now-expired policy. I'm a "barrack-room lawyer" so none of this post is gospel, but perhaps worth checking out . Good luck JB 🙂

Yes, taking the train from Rowley Regis involves a couple of train changes and takes about 3 1/2 hrs. But if you take a taxi for the 8 - 10 miles to Birmingham New Street the hourly train services from there are direct and an hour quicker. But the coach to the ship is easy - and because everyone on the coach is taking that cruise it's like your holiday starts from the moment you board it. Have a great cruise JB 🙂

Agreed. In fact I couldn't find any group tours from Greenock which even included the Falkirk Wheel Agreed. I guess well-worthwhile for engineering or canal enthusiasts, or as part of a road trip, but IMHO it's unworthy of the cost or time (an hour each-way) for a private tour from Greenock, even including the Kelpies. Stirling and its castle are about 30 minutes further on. In the history of Scotland, Stirling Castle is far more important than the one in Edinburgh or any other Scottish castle - and it's very impressive. If you're keen to see the Falkirk Wheel and don't mind the cost of a private tour, perhaps stop off at the Wheel for a few minutes on the way. JB 🙂

Yes, a service charge is quite common in UK restaurants - in tourist areas such as central London, hence K32682 believing that it's widespread. But it's far, far less common in the provinces and away from tourist cities. We eat out quite regularly and I can't recall the last time we were faced with a service charge, altho' occasionally I see it on menus for groups of 8 or more. As UK friends of Idubs said, tips are not needed because the law mandates minimum wages, I'm fairly sure the same applies in the EU. So whereas in the US tips provide servers with their bread, in the UK tips are the jelly that goes on the bread and have to be earned. We usually leave a tip - £5 per couple, perhaps £10 for an exceptional evening, but zilch for sub-standard. But that's a personal decision - some tip more, some don't tip at all as a matter of principle. Also by law, tips/gratuities go to the staff - and cannot be counted as part of their wages (a law case from some years ago). I don't know whether the same applies to "service charges". A law requiring that priced menus had to be displayed outside a restaurant was repealed a couple of decades ago. But by law prices, plus any service charges and their percentage, must be prominently displayed - usually on the menu - so that the customer can be aware of them before they order. The law on whether a customer can refuse to pay a service charge is a bit of a grey area. Yes, certainly if it wasn't clearly displayed before ordering, eg buried in small print. And yes, if the standard was below that which could reasonably be expected of a restaurant eg slow or incompetent. I vaguely recall refusing to pay a service charge & walking away from a restaurant in Budapest - I paid the base bill in cash just to be on the safe side.😏 JB 🙂

Hi, and welcome to Cruise Critic, Yes, it's a big website and it takes a while to get the hang of it - we've all been there, including technophobes like yours truly 😏 It looks like you've found your way to this forum - and it's well worth persevering because the different forums on Cruise Critic are a source of a wealth of information about cruise lines, aboard the ships, ports-of-call etc etc etc Both P&O and Fred Olsen cruises provide coach travel to the cruise ports for most of their cruises from pick-up points around the UK. If there's a pick-up point reasonably close to you, that's got to be the easiest way. Friend or taxi to the pick-up point, coach drops you at the cruise terminal, coach driver loads & un-loads luggage, coaches have toilets & possibly a comfort stop at a motorway services, all very simple and easy But cheapest is booking a National Express coach. There's just the one suitable direct coach (9.15am from Birmingham coach station to Southampton coach station, arrives 12.35 ), £16.30 pp each way, then a short taxi hop to your cruise terminal. No panic to book it soonest, but don't leave it til late because it might book-out and that's the only direct coach that suits. Again, the driver loads & unloads your bags. Most (all?) Nat Express coaches have disability lifts Again, a toilet on the coach. https://www.nationalexpress.com/en Or there's an hourly direct train service from Birmingham New Street to Southampton Central station. Suitably-timed trains at 10.03 or 11.03 , buy advance tickets about 2 months before your cruise at about £85 return pp. (There's talk of the Govt requiring train operators to simplify the minefield od train fares, but don't hold your breath.) Again, a short hop from the station to your cruise terminal. https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ ------------------------------------------ To avoid pitfalls I suggest you stick to Brit cruise lines like P&O or Marella or Fred Olsen or Ambassador. Mebbe an American or Italian cruise line next time. Can I suggest that you use a cruise-specialist travel agent (sorry, quoting travel agents' names here isn't permitted). Use the web to figure what cruises interest you - but then contact the agents the old-fashioned way, by phone. So much better talking to an agent. Try two or three - get information and prices, then go back to the most helpful agent - if their price isn't the lowest, gently ask if they can match it or include freebies like a cabin upgrade. But for a cruise virgin the most helpful agent is worth their weight in gold, even if they're not the cheapest Good luck JB 🙂 .

Hi, and welcome to Cruise Critic The difficult one first ........... Tips. I'm a little worried by responses from North American cruisers, because with the possible exception of @SoloAlaska they might perhaps be assuming that you are aware of the daily tips/gratuities/service charges/call-them-what-you-will Like most US & Italian cruise lines, RCI adds to your on-board account a daily charge of $18 per person per night. That will probably include all the girls, so somewhere over £500 in total. In bluntest terms that's because hotel-side crew are paid a pittance by the cruise lines. Those "tips" are shared by cabin stewards, waiting staff, kitchen staff, laundry staff etc etc etc. If you've already pre-paid them, fine. If you knew about them and are expecting to pay them during the cruise, simply do nothing & they'll be charged to your account. Plenty of Americans frequently add cash tips to selected crew like their cabin steward, but it's not expected. If you knew nothing about the daily charges, post back & we can figure a way round it. Most UK cruise lines & a small number of premium US lines don't add a daily charge, nor do a lot of American lines on cruises ex-UK and ex-Australia because they're aware of the resentment created. Hence the "tips included" or similar that you'll see on many adverts. Drinks packages In the USA the minimum age to be served alcohol is 21. Cruiselines reduce that to 18 for sailings from the UK, I don't know about cruises from Rome. You shouldn't have a problem buying alcohol for any of the girls if the limit is 21. For most folk drinks packages are over-priced, but as well as those who perhaps drink too much many simply find it easier because they just flash their card instead of signing a dccket each time. There's an 18% service charge on all alcoholic & non-alcoholic drinks, I don't know whether it's included in that $64 per day. Tea, coffee & hot chocolate from the self-service machines and at dinner are free, ditto fruit juices around breakfast time. And probably ice-creams on-deck. So no service charge on any of them. Ship's de-salinated water is perfectly safe, like most folk we can't tell the difference from tap water in the UK - except because its stored in tanks rather than underground, the water in your cabin isn't chilled so bottle some & put it in your fridge. Water in the bars, restaurants & drinks stations is chilled or alongside ice. Do take advantage of the allowance of one bottle of wine per person (or is it two per cabin?) that you can take aboard at the departure port for drinking in your cabin or balcony (or walking into the dining room with a full glass 😏) Phones (all second-hand advice, I'm a techno-dummy) on-board, switch all phones to airplane mode, especially G4 & G5 phones because they'll continue to harvest data and cost a fortune. In port, ships are supposed to switch off their systems but don't always remember If you switch on in or close to port and your screen shows the provider as "Cellular At Sea" that's Royal Caribbean's maritime provider and it'll cost a bomb. Texts tend to be very much less expensive. WiFi (still a techno-dummy) Tends to be slow on ships, but improving all the time. I suggest just the one package to start off - but it'll probably work on only the one registered device. You'll find cafes & bars ashore with "free wifi". Some are good, some are almost useless, a few might say "it's not working today". So before ordering drinks check that other customers are happily scrolling away (go ahead & politely ask them). Most have a password lock, they'll give it to you or put it into your tablet when you order. Even this techno-dummy knows that ne'r-do-wells can home in on public wifi Excursions. Do your homework with Mr Google, and Cruise Critic's ports-of-call forums are particularly good with questions like "how do get from the port to ###", "are there taxis / buses at the port?" For anything you can't figure or find, ask on the appropriate ports-of-call forums or back here. Be sure to mention the ports, name of your ship, day/s of the week, hours in port, that you're 2 plus 3 teenage, and anything else that you think relevant. Credit cards Answers to questions that you haven't asked. You can check your on-board account any time via your cabin TV. Later in the cruise you'll be asked if you'd like your credit card to be charged in sterling "for your convenience" 🙄. DECLINE that kind offer. Leave it in ship's currency and your card issuer will convert at a much better exchange-rate than the ship. Visa and Mastercard credit cards are as widely-used in mainland Europe as they are in the UK. Same as aboard, pay only in local currency. Some card readers detect the card's currency and automatically switch the charge to sterling. Check the charge before PINing or wafting or whatever, and if it's not local currency insist that they change it to local. None will give you as good an exchange-rate as your card issuer, some will try to royally rip you off. It also makes it easier to see that the charge is the same as on the menu, the price-sticker etc. If you don't have a card which gives you fee-free foreign exchange, get (at least) one for foreign use. For example Halifax Clarity or the Post Office credit card. Also helps you later to figure how much you spent on holiday . Sorry that a lot of this post is negative. But we've enjoyed all of our cruises on older & smaller Royal Caribbean ships - Odyssey is only a couple of years old and has all the whistles and bells. You - and especially the girls - will be in awe. Have a good one. JB 🙂

Just wait til a Brit or an Aussie gets on this thread.😂 But not me, I can't find my tin hat 🥴 JB 🙂

Hi, and welcome to Cruise Critic, Ocean cruise ships berth in Zeebrugge, but some cruise lines quote Brussels on their itineraries because it's a city which most folk have heard of. It's about 90 minutes by train or about 1 h 20 mins by road. It's a commercial city, the administration centre of the EU and with many other head-offices. There are just a few noteworthy sights spread around the city and the site of the Battle of Waterloo is just a few miles outside the city. Don't waste your time going to Brussels. Most popular is the ancient cobbled city of Bruges, for centuries a busy port for the export of wool, lace. and other exports and connected to the North Sea by a canal. As ships got bigger the coastal port of Zeebrugge grew and the canal silted up. It's less than 8 miles from Zeebrugge and accessible by road (about 20 minutes) and rail (10 min train ride but trains only hourly and preceded by a shuttlebus to the rail station at the resort town of Blankenberge). Various travel options including taxi, privately-run shuttlebus, ships' "Bruges on your own" and train. Each method has its pros & cons. Google Bruges. And search this Cruise Critic board - type Bruges into the little search box near the top right side of this page, scroll the little arrow to "this forum" & click the spyglass at the side of the box. Give the magic a few seconds to work and you end up with this https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=Bruges &quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=148 OK, I've done this for you but if you don't fancy Bruges do the same to check out Ostend, The Atlantic Wall and De Panne. All are on the coast & served by the kusttram (coastal tram).. Use the appropriate search box for your other ports-of-call too. Ghent is pretty easy by train, but I'd rate it a poor second to Bruges. Ypres and the surrounding area is very interesting part of WW1's "Western Front", more interesting to Brits than Americans. Some distance from Zeebrugge, needs to be done as a tour. - or by the more-intrepid by rented car plus a great deal of research & preparation. JB 🙂 BTW, if you include your location and/or nationality in your screen-name we can tailor answers - especially re passports, visas, insurance, etc

Your choice might depend on the location of your hotel, the main options are - By train from London Waterloo train station direct to Southampton Central station, about 3 trains per hour, journey time about 90 minutes. Because direct trains are so frequent, avoid those which involve a change Walk-up fares are expensive - £52 pp., but from about 12 weeks out you can buy cheap advance tickets for under £20. No refund or changes on cheap advance tickets, and they are only good for the train time that you book - miss that train and your tickets are trash, you'll have to pay the walk-up fare for the next train. Since you'll already be in London you have no excuse like a flight delay for missing the train, so cheap advance tickets are the way to go. Trains also from London Victoria train station - cheaper but only an hourly service, journey time an hour longer and one slightly difficult train change. https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ - By bus from London Victoria coach station direct to Southampton coach station. Poorer frequency, journey times 2 1/2 to 3 hrs, coaches have bathroom and at-seat wi-fi, driver loads & unloads luggage. Fare only £8 pp Advance booking strongly advised. https://www.nationalexpress.com/en - by private transfer door-to-door from central London to Southampton. Myriad operators, pre-booked rate for a sedan upward from £180, journey time 2 - 3 hrs. - By cruise tour-transfer coach Friends International are a long-established and reputable London tour coach operator. They offer door-to-door cruise ship tour-transfers, including London to Southampton via Windsor or Stonehenge https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/shore-excursions-and-cruise-transfers.html Pick-up from major hotels in central London (if yours isn't served you make your way to a nearby hotel which is listed). Driver loads & unloads luggage. At the end of the tour-transfer they drop at the Southampton cruise terminal of the cruise served. Of course that won't be the cruise which you're taking, so check the port website below for ships being served on the day of your transfer and book as for that cruise. Ensure that the driver knows that you won't be boarding the ship, he will then load your luggage separately. You then collect your luggage from the driver and take a taxi (there'll be plenty dropping passengers off) to your Southampton lodging. NB On the same page, Friends International offer direct van transfers - IMHO they're not great value https://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Live_Information/Shipping_Movements_and_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Cruise_Ship_Schedule/ The port website names the port agent or cruise corporation, the International Friends' website names the cruiselines. So you may need to google the name/s of ship/s sailing that day to find out the name of the cruiseline. (If you're not yet committed to Southampton accommodation and your ship is served by International Friends you could travel next day with your fellow-cruisers) JB 🙂

Your post isn't clear - or mebbe I'm just being as dumb as usual 🙃 Is this one of the deciding factors in choosing between cruises ? If so ............ Naples has far more to offer, including Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius and Naples itself. And if you're interested in Capri, it's just a pleasant 60-minute ferry ride across the Bay of Naples and plenty of time to explore. Whilst the ferry from Capri to Naples .takes the same time, it would impact on valuable time at any of the places I've mentioned, so porting in Napes wins on that score too. Naples is normally a berthed destination, I don't think Capri can handle even the smallest cruise ship, so it would be ashore by tender. There are pros & cons if you want an Amalfi Coast drive - Capri is much closer but involves a ferry from Capri to Sorrento then a private tour from there instead of a tour starting in Naples. So Capri likely to be cheaper but with that complication, and Amalfi drives from Naples usually include at least one other of the mainland attractions So I'd come down on the side of Naples, but you also have to consider the other differences between the cruises - itineraries, prices, ships etc. JB 🙂

Cheapest is National Express scheduled coach to Southampton coach station @ about £20 pp, then walk or taxi depending on the location of your hotel & the weather. But if you're looking at on-line adverts for private transfers, which are mainly read by folk going direct to a ship - you can book them to a central Southampton hotel for the same money. Nowadays operators are shy about quoting prices on their websites, so it's a tedious job of contacting each for a price. Include https://westquaycars.com/ & https://www.aquacars.co.uk/ & https://gunwharf-executive-travel.co.uk/ - all are based at the Southampton end. I see some crazy prices mentioned on Cruise Critic - the rate for LHR to Southampton should be around £140 to £160 for a sedan. JB 🙂

I've frequently suggested businesses and never had a problem. Usually I'll mention several options (hotels or private transfer operators for instance) but often there's only the one possibility (Red Funnel ferries to the Isle of Wight or International Friends' coach tour-transfers for instance). I don't think the ruling is as draconian as it sounds, I suspect it's to avoid spam from those who come across Cruise Critic and think "here's an opportunity to push my / my friend's business". I recall reporting one person who'd posted just half a dozen times (in the Asian board IIRC), each time promoting just the one business without revealing any connection to that business, and sometimes out of context with the question. The posts disappeared & I've not see any more since Those of us who post on a variety of subjects and with a variety of suggestions (and sometimes pointing out the pitfalls as well as the advantages) aren't the ones who Cruise Critic want to silence. If we are, they're not doing a very good job of it 😏. JB 🙂

Hi, and welcome to Cruise Critic, There's no suitable public transport, so your other options are: - Overlord will almost certainly be fully-booked - they book out early - but worth an e-mail. - On cruises anywhere fellow-cruisers often book a van and then look for sharers. Go on your cruise RollCall https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2815904-getaway-to-northern-europe-may-13-2024/page/5/ (I've linked you to the last page of 5) to see if anyone is offering seats. Post on there anyway to say "Hi" to your fellow-cruisers, and mebbe ask. - You could try https://www.europebattlefieldstours.com/Tours/British-and-Canadian-Highlights-1-Day.html (I've linked you to one of the appropriate pages). It's not an operator that I know. They might have seats-in-bus available. Or you might want to consider booking a van & finding sharers (finding multiple sharers not advisable for a first-time cruiser) - There are other D-Day tour operators, but I don't recall names. Google is your friend. (Be aware with any shared tour that a high proportion will be Americans, and they'll naturally want to concentrate on the US beaches & sights). - E-mail a few taxi operators in Le Havre to ask if they can provide a car & driver who speaks reasonable English and knows the main D-Day sights. Not having a proper guide isn't the end of the world, the sights have printed information and knowledgeable staff. I'm guessing you'll want to visit Juno Beach at Courseulles-sur-Mer, the Canadian sector. It has an excellent museum, when we went some years ago visits were guided but that may have changed. L'Abbaye d’Ardenne, scene of a *** atrocity against Canadian PoWs is also high on many Canadian visitors' list. On the way there or back you'd also have time to drop into Pegasus Bridge (British), which comes before Juno and has an excellent museum. Or even continue past Juno to Arromanches then the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach at Saint Laurent-sur-Mer. - Rent a car. The road to the area is mainly divided highway, no city driving and no tolls other than for the bridge over the mouth of the River Seine. In the country lanes around the landing beaches you might get lost a time or two, but no big deal 😏. Parking at pretty-well all stops is plentiful and free. We can provide you with a suggested route & timings Or to make it all easier (at a cost) you can check if the tour operator that I linked has a guide who can travel with you in your rented car, it's a service which they offer on their website. If you fix up a taxi or rental car, post on your RollCall to find a couple to share. If you find sharers ensure the taxi. or rental car f you book a guide, has 5 seats. Lots of options, none as easy as booking a ship's or Overlord tour but worth the effort. Good luck JB 🙂

I'm a local so I've never used International Friends, but couldn't see anything on 'their website about having to disembark unassisted. Were you perhaps mis-reading "Service also available to passengers on other ships not listed when dates and arrival times coincide with ships listed. Please note you will need to make your own way to the ship we are servicing on that date" Plenty of Cruise Critic members have used International Friends - r perhaps one or two can advise. Certainly they don't want anyone to hold-up the coach. If you have to use it, self-assist is available from about 30 minutes before any assisted passengers are called to disembark, so there's no crowding. Yes, most certainly you can use the ship's elevators, and that's no problem - as long as you're not late, because you'd be mixing it with a lot of unencumbered cruisers. I don't think City Cruise Terminal has elevators, but the walkway has a gentle slope down from the disembarkation point to the terminal - if you've got rolling luggage that's absolutely ideal. There should be no line as such to enter Stonehenge - to avoid long lines by spreading the arrivals, those who make their own way there have to pre-book an arrival slot. Those who buy their tickets thro coach tours - including both International Friends and cruise lines - do not have that restriction, their tickets are "anytime". There may be a line for the transport from the visitor centre to the stones, more especially saturdays & sundays. We've been to Windsor castle a couple of times, no line but I don't recall the time of day or the time of year, so no promises.. JB 🙂